The present invention relates to a controlling device, a controlling method, a receiving apparatus, a receiving method, an image reproducing apparatus, an image reproducing method and a transmission medium, and more particularly to those adapted for control of an image pickup device.
In monitoring through remote control of an image pickup device such as a video camera, it has been customary heretofore that a controlling device on the side of an operator is connected to the image pickup device via a communication line, and the operator manipulates the controlling device in a manner to obtain a desired image while watching the images transmitted thereto.
When the image pickup device has a recorder, any still or moving image outputted from the image pickup device is once recorded in a recording medium such as a film or magnetic tape and then is transmitted to the operator via a communication line.
In the related art, it is generally ordinary to employ an analog line or ISDN as a communication line. However, since an image transmission rate is not sufficiently high in any of such communication lines, there exists a problem that an extremely long time is required for confirming whether a desired image has been obtained or not.
Moreover, there may occur a case where the delay or the transmission rate in the communication line is not exactly fixed, so that a feedback loop including the operator is rendered unstable to consequently bring about some difficulty in control.
Further, due to the reason mentioned, trial and error are repeated until finding a proper manipulation to realize the intended result, hence raising another problem that some vain communication and operation of the image pickup device are caused.
Besides the above, when retrieving a desired scene out of entire still or moving images recorded in the recorder, random access is difficult since the recording medium is a film or magnetic tape as described, whereby a long time is required until arrival at the desired scene.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to realize smooth control of an image pickup device executed via a communication line.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controlling device which comprises an input means to input information for setting an image pickup device; a prediction means for predicting an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the setting information received from the input means; an output means for outputting to a display device the image obtained from the prediction means; a decision means for making a decision as to whether a control action corresponding to the setting information from the input means is to be executed or not; and a send means for sending a control signal, which corresponds to the setting information received from the input means, to the image pickup device via a transmission medium after execution of the control action is decided by the decision means.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a controlling method which comprises the steps of detecting a current set state of an image pickup device; inputting information for setting the image pickup device; predicting an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the input setting information; outputting the predicted image to a display device; making a decision as to whether a control action corresponding to the input setting information is to be executed or not with reference to the image being displayed on the display device; and sending a control signal, which corresponds to the input setting information, to the image pickup device via a transmission medium after execution of the control action is decided in the preceding step.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transmission medium for transmitting a computer program which has functions to execute the steps of inputting information for setting an image pickup device; predicting an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the input setting information; outputting the predicted image to a display device; making a decision as to whether a control action corresponding to the input setting information is to be executed or not with reference to the image being displayed on the display device; and sending a control signal, which corresponds to the input setting information, to the image pickup device via a transmission medium after execution of the control action is decided in the preceding step.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving apparatus which comprises a receiving means for receiving pickup-device setting information transmitted thereto from a controlling device via a transmission medium; a prediction means for predicting an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the setting information received from the input means; a send means for sending to the controlling device the image obtained from the prediction means; and a setting means for setting the image pickup device in response to the setting information upon reception of a control command from the controlling device to set the image pickup device in response to the setting information.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a receiving method which comprises the steps of receiving pickup-device setting information transmitted from a controlling device via a transmission medium; predicting an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the received setting information; sending the predicted image to the controlling device; and setting the image pickup device in response to the setting information upon reception of a control command from the controlling device to set the image pickup device in response to the setting information.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transmission medium for transmitting a computer program which has functions to execute the steps of receiving pickup-device setting information transmitted from a controlling device via a transmission medium; predicting an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the received setting information; sending the predicted image to the controlling device; and setting the image pickup device in response to the setting information upon reception of a control command from the controlling device to set the image pickup device in response to the setting information.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reproducing apparatus which comprises a first storage means for storing images picked up by an image pickup device; a second storage means for storing pickup-device setting information at the time of shooting the images; an input means to input a range of images to be reproduced; a retrieval means for retrieving the images, which correspond to the range obtained from the input means, out of the entire images stored in the first storage means; a conversion means for converting the retrieved images in response to the relevant setting information stored in the second storage means; a composition means for forming a single composite image out of the converted images; and an output means for outputting the composite image to a display device.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reproducing method which comprises the steps of storing images shot by an image pickup device; storing pickup-device setting information at the time of shooting the images; inputting a range of images to be reproduced; retrieving the images, which correspond to the range obtained from the input step, out of the entire images stored in the first storage step; converting the retrieved images in response to the relevant setting information stored in the second storage step; forming a single composite image out of the converted images; and outputting the composite image to a display device.
And according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a transmission medium for transmitting a computer program which has functions to execute the steps of storing images shot by an image pickup device; storing pickup-device setting information at the time of shooting the images; inputting a range of images to be reproduced; retrieving the images, which correspond to the scope obtained from the input step, out of the entire images stored in the first storage step; converting the retrieved images in response to the relevant setting information stored in the second storage step; forming a single composite image out of the converted images; and outputting the composite image to a display device.
In the above controlling device, controlling method and transmission medium of the first, second and third aspects, information for setting an image pickup device is inputted, and then an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the input setting information is predicted. Subsequently the image thus predicted is outputted to a display device, and a decision is made as to whether a control action corresponding to the input setting information is to be executed or not with reference to the image being displayed on the display device. And if the result of this decision is affirmative to signify execution of the control action, a control signal relevant to the input setting information is sent to the image pickup device via the transmission medium. For example, when new setting information at the time of shooting the object by the image pickup device is inputted, an image of the object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the input setting information is predicted. Thereafter the predicted image is outputted to the display device, and a decision is made, with reference to the image being displayed on the display device, as to whether a control action corresponding to the input setting information is to be executed or not. And upon decision that the control action is to be executed, the input setting information is sent to the image pickup device via the transmission medium. Therefore, it becomes possible to prevent transmission of any unnecessary control command to the image pickup device, hence realizing smooth control of the image pickup device.
In the above receiving apparatus, receiving method and transmission medium of the fourth, fifth and sixth aspects, pickup-device setting information transmitted from a controlling device via a transmission medium is received, and then an image of an object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the received setting information is predicted. Subsequently the predicted image is sent to the controlling device, and upon reception of a control command from the controlling device to set the image pickup device in response to the setting information, the image pickup device is set in accordance with the setting information. For example, when the pickup-device setting information transmitted from the controlling device via the transmission medium is received, an image of the object to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the received setting information is predicted, and then the predicted image is sent to the controlling device. And upon reception of a control command from the controlling device to set the image pickup device in response to the setting information, the image pickup device is set in accordance with the setting information. Since the image to be obtained upon reset of the image pickup device in response to the setting information is thus predicted and supplied, prompt control is achievable so as to obtain a desired image with reference to the predicted image.
In the above image reproducing apparatus, image reproducing method and transmission medium of the seventh, eighth and ninth aspects, images shot by an image pickup device are stored, and pickup-device setting information at the time of shooting the images are also stored. A range of images to be reproduced is inputted, and the images corresponding to the input range are retrieved out of the entire stored images. Subsequently the images thus retrieved are converted in accordance with the setting information, and after a single composite image is formed out of the converted images, the composite image is outputted to the display device. For example, the images outputted from the image pickup device are stored as still images in a first memory, while the pickup-device setting information used at the time of shooting the images are stored in a second memory. Thereafter a range of the images to be reproduced is inputted, and the images corresponding to the input range are retrieved out of the entire images stored in the first memory. Subsequently the retrieved images are converted in accordance with the relevant setting information, and the converted images are processed to form a single composite image, which is then outputted to the display device. Therefore, it is possible to reproduce the images while changing the image-pickup shooting conditions properly.
The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which will be given with reference to the illustrative accompanying drawings.